Saira Hospitality has partnered with eCornell and Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration to bring a Service Excellence professional development program to local communities in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a region devastated by the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The partnership strives to help rebuild the tourism industry and has brought a sense of hope and empowerment to residents as they prepare to attain careers in the hospitality industry.
Founded in 2015 by Harsha Chanrai, a graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, Saira Hospitality partners with luxury hotels across the world to create pop-up hotel schools that incorporate educational and life-skill training, including eCornell’s Service Excellence program. Instructors teach members of local communities the skills needed for employment and career growth in the hospitality industry. The holistic curriculum introduces lessons in verbal and non-verbal communication, entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship, sustainability and personal finances, as well as soft skills like mindfulness and emotional and cultural intelligence. These modules are taught in addition to the specialized hospitality skills necessary to succeed as an employee of an upscale hotel.
At the program’s conclusion, hotel operators have a pool of highly trained, loyal, passionate community members who possess significant knowledge of brand culture and values from which to hire, and graduates are empowered with the knowledge that their new skills can help them build a career in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
“Cornell University has an unmatched reputation in the hospitality industry,” says Harsha Chanrai. “I am honored that Saira Hospitality is able to deliver access to Cornell to previously inaccessible markets through the inclusion of the Service Excellence program. It has brought an immense sense of pride, hope, and career excitement to local communities in the BVI.”
Upon completion of the Service Excellence program, learners will be able to draw on best practices for resolving conflict, identify service recovery opportunities, categorize service failures and appropriate responses, and improve their own communication by consciously considering audience, message, and method of delivery. Modules include:
- ● The Service Excellence Framework
- ● Developing Your Service Skills
- ● Managing Service Interactions
For more information about Saira Hospitality visit www.sairahospitality.com.
Photo credit: Alton Bertie, courtesy of Saira Hospitality
